Main Street report to come out within two weeks, city official says

The Concord City Council will get a new report on the Main Street project within two weeks, said Carlos Baia, deputy city manger for development.

In an email update yesterday, Baia declined to name the selected contractor. But he said city staff, consulting firm McFarland Johnson and representatives from the Federal Highway Administration have held five joint meetings with that contractor to date.

“The meetings have each lasted an average of three to four hours with the parties committed to finding ways to improve the delivery of the designed project,” Baia wrote. “The contractor has been very thorough and has worked diligently with a variety of subcontractors to answer our questions and present us with alternatives for consideration.”

In its original form, the Main Street project would redesign and rebuild 12 blocks of the downtown corridor. The city projected the total bill would be $10.35 million, and a $4.71 million federal grant would cover part of that cost. Concord has already rejected two proposals that were almost double the budget for construction. Over the last several months, the city has been trying a third time to find a contractor through an alternative bidding process.

A report to the council would include a new assessment of the price and scope for the project, as well as options for a snowmelt system under the downtown sidewalks.

“Based upon where we are today, we anticipate having a report to city council within the next two weeks,” Baia wrote. “Assuming council authorizes the project to move forward, we still anticipate starting construction this summer.”

(Megan Doyle can be reached at 369-3321 or mdoyle@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @megan_e_doyle.)

Money for a beautification project and a snow melt system - virtually NO money to pave the streets of its neighborhoods. That is the democrats way - For the citizens to re-elect this bunch shows that they really are LIDV's